To please others? It's better to please yourself.

The mung bean soup in the pot is ready; ladle it out and let it cool.

Shape the buns into two different shapes, place them in a steamer, and steam over high heat for thirteen minutes. Two batches of vegetarian buns with chives and eggs, and one batch of buns with fennel, pork cracklings, and fried pork. Each bun has a slightly yellow dough and is about the size of a palm.

Half of them were steamed buns made with mixed grain flour. The dough was a darker color and not as soft as that made with white flour; it was rather firm. Shen Yue had just returned from steaming them when he smelled the aroma in the air and his stomach started growling involuntarily.

Gu Panpan smiled at the other person: "Hurry up and wash your hands, dinner is ready."

Shen Yue ate four white flour buns and drank two bowls of mung bean soup before he recovered.

Gu Panpan waited until he had almost finished eating before asking, "Should I give some to the neighbors?"

Shen Yue nodded. "In our area, I haven't heard of any family members causing trouble."

That means the relationship is just so-so, not close.

"I have a decent relationship with the men of the two houses in front of and to the left of my house."

It means that we see each other often and are quite familiar with each other.

"Those I'm closest to, those I often work with, don't live here."

"Should we invite them over for dinner?"

"Yes, I'm free tomorrow and the day after. Which time would you like?"

"Tomorrow! I was lucky today to be the first in line at the butcher's. I bought three pounds of fatty pork to render oil for steaming buns, and I still have two pounds of pork belly left, which will be perfect for tomorrow, otherwise it will spoil."

"Okay, I'll let them know this afternoon."

"I'll deliver the steamed buns first, and then we'll confirm the dishes and estimate the number of people so I can prepare the food."

"Should I come with you?"

"No need, this is just a neighborly greeting, a simple exchange of greetings. It's inappropriate for you to go, it's too formal," Gu Panpan immediately refused.

He took a large bowl, filled it with two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish, and three large steamed buns made from mixed noodles. He made two trips back and forth to deliver the food to his neighbor.

Shen Yue looked at the obviously different bun wrappers but didn't say a word. These days, if someone has something good, they'll keep it a secret.

Relationships are built through give and take. If what you give far exceeds the value the other person can reciprocate, what are they supposed to do?

If you reciprocate with something of equal value, the other person's burden becomes heavier. If you reciprocate with something of unequal value, the other person will feel embarrassed, and you will also feel uncomfortable. Over time, the relationship between the two parties will sour.

As the old saying goes, "Great kindness can be as great enmity," and that's the point.

When Gu Panpan returned, there were no empty bowls. One family gave her homemade sauce, and the other gave her pickled vegetables.

The two discussed for half an hour and tentatively decided on nine dishes:

Braised pork belly with potatoes, pickled fish, stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers (a dish of potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant), pan-fried pumpkin pancakes, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, cold spinach and glass noodles salad, stir-fried celery with pork, green beans with chili peppers, and smashed cucumber.

Gu Panpan: "Is there enough food? How many can we have? I'll add a soup later, to make it ten!"

Shen Yue: "Six people, a larger portion of food should be enough. Here, we usually only invite men, not their families. Otherwise, with a whole bunch of wives and kids, who can afford to invite them?"

Gu Panpan: "The two pounds of pork belly I bought today is enough. We can add more depending on what we buy for groceries tomorrow. Also, remember to go to the cafeteria tomorrow at noon and buy some steamed buns, rice, or other staple foods. See what they like to eat and buy some of those. There won't be enough time to make staple foods tomorrow."

I'm not even sure if I'll be able to buy fish tomorrow; I might have to change my vegetables.

During the meal, Gu Panpan ate two steamed buns, while Shen Yue ate eight. Everyone knew soldiers had big appetites, but who would have thought they would eat this much? Gu Panpan's mouth was agape when she saw it.

Before leaving, Shen Yue packed the remaining mixed grain buns into a clean cloth bag and took them with him.

Dinner was porridge with steamed buns, and Shen Yue ate eight steamed buns in one go.

She ate the last steamed bun herself.

The next morning, Shen Yue and Gu Panpan got up and went to the rural areas around the military base to exchange supplies. They got all the vegetables, but couldn't find any fish. On their way back, they met someone catching small river shrimp and bought half a bucket for ten cents.

Shen Yue went to the military camp to continue his work, while Gu Panpan finished the remaining preparations. First, she washed and chopped all the vegetables, then stewed two cold dishes, pumpkin pancakes, and braised pork, so she could cook them as soon as the people arrived.

Judging by the time, I set aside some of the braised pork, then added potatoes (more potatoes than pork, that's for sure). In another pan, I brushed some oil and pan-fried the pumpkin pancakes. Once the pumpkin pancakes were done, I made the "Three Treasures of the Earth" (a dish of stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers), followed by scrambled eggs with tomatoes, green beans with chili peppers, and stir-fried river shrimp with chives instead of pickled fish. The last dish was stir-fried celery with pork (the pork in this dish was the portion I had set aside earlier).

Gu Panpan was pouring the sauce over the cold dishes when she heard a group of people walking into the house, talking and laughing.

"Your sister-in-law's cooking is really good; I could smell the aroma from far away."

"Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law."

Gu Panpan greeted everyone with a smile, leaving the rest to Shen Yue to entertain.

The table was laden with food, and most importantly, the portions were huge. They didn't use plates to serve the food; instead, they used large enamel basins meant for serving rice and soup.

"Wow—" Everyone was surprised when they saw it, not expecting Old Shen's wife to have prepared so much. After the meal, the saying "Shen Yue and his wife are honest people" spread throughout the military camp.

Everyone had been hungry all morning, so they grabbed the steamed buns and ate them heartily.

After seeing the guests off, Shen Yue didn't let his wife do anything. He cleaned up the house, kitchen, and dishes himself. Before leaving, he said, "Don't cook tonight. Take a break this afternoon, and I'll bring some back from the cafeteria."

Gu Panpan lay on the bed. "Okay, I am indeed tired."

After resting for two days, Shen Yue cleared out his vegetable garden and planted vegetables, and built a bathroom in the yard. Gu Panpan also began to interact with other military wives, gradually integrating into their lives and starting a new chapter.

Their relationship blossomed into something noticeably sweeter. Then, in October, Gu Panpan became pregnant. Shen Yue was overjoyed, and everyone around him understood.

Shen Yue is 35 this year, and everyone who sees them says the couple has had a tough time. It wasn't until December that we received a letter from Shen's mother informing us that she wouldn't be able to come until after the New Year.

After the New Year, Gu Panpan received a package from her in-laws. It contained clothes, hats, woolen shoes, diapers, and blankets for the three children, all of which were exceptionally clean and neatly folded. She could even smell the soap and sunshine on them.

My sister-in-law definitely did a thorough job of washing it.

Looking at these things, Gu Panpan knew that the past was over.

She calculated that her mother-in-law had raised three children for the second son's family. Based on the implication of Shen Yue's words, it seemed that Shen Yue, as the eldest brother, had helped the second son with his wedding and the birth of his child.

She's carrying twins, so thinking about it, her family is at a disadvantage. Besides, her mother-in-law can't stay here forever, or come back every time she gives birth to take care of her; that's not realistic.

It seems the only option is to have another child soon!